Opportunity Knocks

Opportunity has often knocked, loudly, at the door of Be the Change. We're so thankful for this. So, when I was approached by David Batstone a few months ago and asked if Be the Change would serve as his Eastern PA State Representative, I knew this would be another incredible opportunity for Be the Change. David Batstone is the founder of the Not For Sale Campaign. It is an amazing organization working around the world in both the prevention and rescue aspects of human trafficking. You can visit http://www.notforsale.org/ to learn more. Dave also wrote a book, entitled Not For Sale, which gives descriptions of organizations all around the world working to end human trafficking. This book was a tremendous help to us at Be the Change. After reading the book, we began to contact many of the organizations that were featured. Be the Change has partnered with Hagar International in Cambodia, Regina Pacis in Italy, Kru Nam in Northern Thailand and NightLight in Bangkok, Thailand--all thanks to the book Not For Sale. If not for this campaign, we may never have heard of these organizations.

David Batstone and the Not For Sale Campaign get numerous requests from places around the country asking him if he can come and speak. Since Dave lives in California, and cannot be in two places at once (wouldn't that solve so many of our problems!) he has asked people around the country to represent, or be the "face" of Not For Sale, in a particular area. When asked to speak at a venue in the eastern part of the State, Be the Change will go and have the opportunity to speak, not only for Not For Sale, but also for Be the Change, and the ways in which our two organizations have partnered together.

Not For Sale goes beyond symbolizing hope. This campaign is hope. It is organizations such as this that give me reason to believe that slavery will end in this world. Maybe not in my lifetime, but it will end. Today there are 27 million people living in slavery of some form. This isn't a number I can comprehend. When I look at this number, and then hear my self say I believe it will end I get overwhelmed, even I think I am crazy sometimes. I don't understand this number. But, to give you and myself some comprehension of this, the entire population of the state of Texas is 23, 507, 783. More people are enslaved today than live in the state of Texas. I still believe.

Not For Sale Campaign has gone into other countries, interviewed those doing the work and those who have been enslaved to tell the world of this atrocity. Not For Sale puts the people who have lived this nightmare in the forfront so that their stories are heard. This campaign shows that slavery is thriving in our global community, and, right in our own backyards. If you live in the Bucks County area, like so many other areas of the US, slavery is in your backyard. A few months ago a human trafficking ring was broken up in Ardmore. Be the Change is working with an organization in Philadelphia who will be opening up a home for formerly trafficked women in the Philadelphia area. That is 45 minutes from where I sit typing this right now.

In the week since we officially took on the role of Eastern State PA rep, we have already been contacted by a 17-year-old wanting to do a video on human trafficking. This is the 2nd video opportunity that has come our way in the last month. Opportunity is knocking. We're coming. A few months ago Nicole, our youngest board member, was working on a video for school. She had to make a movie and was doing it on Be the Change and human trafficking. She was really struggling trying to decide which celebrity would play each board member of Be the Change. I suggested, that, perhaps since we didn't actually have this problem yet, that she did not need to dwell on that aspect too much. I am sure when we have to make the movie the producers will help us with that part :) Maybe that is a problem we will have sooner than I thought. One can dream, after all, that's how we got this far....

It is because of Not For Sale, and those that they work with that I have reason to hope that human trafficking will end. It is because of the work they do that I have hope that one day, no matter where you live, we will all live in the land of the free. I believe. I believe because I believe that love is so much stronger than hate.

During our conversation Dave thanked me so many times. He told me he was honored to work with Be the Change. I was beyond flattered by this comment coming from a man I admire so greatly. I believe, Dave, that the honor is ours.

To find out how you can join us to eradicate slavery, please visit www.bethechangefoundation.org, or contact us at info@bethechangefoundation.org